Tag Archives: Take It Back

Though we are a bit late to the party, we have a single we feel all rock fans should go check out. The song is Take It Back and comes from UK alternative rockers Gold Jacks. They are a Manchester quartet quietly but potently brewing up a strong reputation around their home city and further afield through their live presence and the release of two spicy singles. Take it Back is the second of those temptations and a song which sizzles in the ears and smoulders to lingering effect in the psyche.

The track follows attention grabbing debut single One Kinda Women, a song which is melodically inflamed and pungently infectious. Its release backed up the band’s growing reputation as a must see live proposal but as impressive as it is, Take It Back outshines its raw seduction with ease. Whereas its predecessor was a lively affair, the new single prowls and courts the senses with its seductive gait led by the sultrily dark bassline of Tom Smith and the impressively alluring tones of vocalist/guitarist Stu Burns. Theirs is a riveting fusion which is only elevated to greater climes by the gripping sonic craft of lead guitarist Liam Dunning where grooves spring from his fingers on strings like shards of light from a burning sun.

Skilfully tempered and held in check by the skilled rhythmic prowess of James Gaskell, the track is a furnace of dark rock ‘n’ roll and bluesy vapours, every twist explored unveiling new depths and addictive bait to greedily devour. At times there is a whisper of Queens Of the Stone Age to the song, in others moments of bands like Morass of Molasses, and from start to finish Take It Back just bewitches.

It is the third song we have heard from Gold Jacks and without doubt their best to date, which if the trend continues means we are in for something extremely special next time.

With 2010 debut album Swimming with Sharks, UK melodic rockers The First stirred up a fair bit of acclaim and support for their lively and potent sound, a strong reputation garnered as equally through their energetic and raucous live performances. The band now returns with new full-length release Take Courage, an album which builds on that very solid start with a clutch of fiery well-crafted songs. It is an encounter which will only enhance their status and fanbase even though in many ways what is impressively on offer is hardly breaking into new avenues of adventure and originality.

Hailing from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, the quintet of vocalist Benny Salter, guitarists Tim Crane and Ben Knowles, bassist Adam Masters, and drummer Rob Knight instantly leap upon the ear through the thumping invitation of opener There’s No Place, a start which soon evolves into a riotous brawl upon the senses with rhythms cutting off all retreat and guitars taunting with sonic enterprise. The song soon settles into an adrenaline driven flight of intensive pop rock with a strong punk breath to its rapacious intent. With great vocals from Salter supported by the rest of the band and the guitars carving bright acidic designs around the continuing to challenge rhythms, the song is a richly satisfying if expected blaze.

The single from the album Take It Back launches at the listener next and immediately raises the stakes of the encounter. Riffs tower above their recipient with predatory expertise whilst the rhythms whip the ear with precise and venomous skill, both elements fused into the dramatic temptation of the song and then wrapped in the tight melodic invention and contagious grooves which fight for airspace within the brewed aggressive maelstrom. Each receives their clarity though and combine for an incendiary explosion of adventure and excellence which in hindsight actually makes the rest of Take Courage play under a slight anti-climactic cloud.

In saying that the likes of the explosive Dare I Say I Ruined Everything and the provocative Monster leave nothing less than full satisfaction in their wake, it is just that they lack that killer touch, the dramatic spark to ignite the passions and lingering memory for their persuasion. The second of the two offers a strong flame of guitar carved enterprise within a sinew clad presence which takes little time in securing the submission of feet and thoughts, whilst the continuing to impress vocals, singular and as a crowded narrative, are equally as pleasing and potent.

Through the title track with its stirring anthemic choruses and melodic spires leading to those pinnacles, and the feisty Shark Attack whose thumping start gets the senses and passions embroiled in an intent to stomp, though the song then teases by relaxing time and again between building up those fighting crescendos, the band continues to incite nothing less than full attention for a satisfied appetite whilst William which features guest Elissa Franceschi, lays down an emotive landscape which increases its hold and seduction further once both vocalists unite in an intense tonic of a finale.

Love Regret Forgive Forget provides the album with a final anthemic enslavement for the emotions, its muscular and intimidating rhythmic and guitar caging a platform for the vocals and the passion of the song to explore their individual textures and depths. As infectious as anything on the album and not far from the heights of Take It Back, the song still shows little to sets it apart from numerous other impressive and skilled artists, something which the album falls under too ultimately despite its very enjoyable presence.

The evocative ballad Tonight Tonight brings the Destroy Everything released album to a more than decent if pale end; the CD of the release also offering the bonus song Enough Is Never Enough which though crafted with care and imagination and is certainly pleasing is a shadow of what came before. Overall though Take Courage is a thoroughly enjoyable album, just not one which ignites enough triggers for the passions to fully engulf its creative offering. Listening to the heart drenched songs though you can easily see why The First is raising such positive and eager responses with a sound which will appeal to fans of the likes of Deaf Havana, Mallory Knox, and Lower Than Atlantis with ease.

Loud, energetic, and wholly infectious the new single from UK melodic rock band The First is an ear grabbing treat which further concretes the band as one of the most vibrant and thrilling to have emerged in the past few years. Take It Back brings a feisty ride of high octane energy, jaw shaking heavy riffs and melodic enterprise to light any heart. Fusing rock n roll with punk rock and slithers of post hardcore the track is a stirring riot of contagious hooks and hard rock power moulded into an explosion of pulse racing pleasure.

The Cambridgeshire quintet ignited great critical acclaim with their 2010 debut album Swimming With Sharks, a release which easily set The First as a band primed to become a major part of British rock. Their energetic live shows too only went to bring a growth in the stock and reputation of the band with shared stages with the likes of Deaf Havana, Gallows, Architects, Bring Me The Horizon Mallory Knox and Lower Than Atlantis and their impressive appearance at Hevy festival last year only leaving eager and swelled attention in their wake.

Released August 13th through Another., the single shows the band has moved to higher levels as it evolves further into a distinctly refreshing and powerful force. The track sees the band return heavier and more energetic whilst their melodic imagination is tightly crafted into a sharper impressive weave. From the first note the song slams into the ear with towering riffs and face slapping rhythms. The instant groove pulls the senses right up to stare the song in the face as the excellent vocals and their harmonies heat up the air alongside the emerging heart igniting melodic invention from the guitars. The chorus is sheer contagion which recruits passions and voices from its recipients with ease. To be honest the whole song is an infection which cannot be denied or dismissed and as it rampages it explores incendiary melodic rock flavours and hardcore aggression vocally to great effect. It is a multi coloured palette the band work from in sound and intensity and they with Take It Back have created a masterpiece which fires up an impatient anticipation for more.

British melodic rock is in safe hands with the tightest and most powerful grip coming from The First.

The RingMaster Review

The RingMaster

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Artists previously worked with include: In Vain, The Capsules, Solar Halos, Seneron, Crashgate, Able Archer, Machine Rox, Fahran, Centre Excuse, Evanstar, and many more as well as FRUK and Pluggin' Baby.

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